Boca Juniors’ Bombonera stadium evacuated after bomb threat

Buenos Aires, Dec 5: A bomb threat that forced the evacuation of La Bombonera stadium — the iconic home of Argentina's Boca Juniors — was a false alarm, police said.

Dozens of people, including club employees and visitors to the Boca Juniors museum, were ordered to leave the venue after an anonymous phone call, local media reported, citing police on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Authorities were investigating the incident, newspapers La Nacion and Clarin said.

It occurred as fans prepared to gather near the stadium to wish Boca's players well ahead of their Copa Libertadores final second leg against local rivals River Plate in Madrid on Sunday.

The fixture between Argentina's biggest rivals was suspended on November 24 after Boca's team bus was attacked with stones and bottles as it approached River's Monumental stadium in the northern districts of Buenos Aires.

Several Boca players were injured by broken glass while others — including former Argentina international forward Carlos Tevez — were affected by tear gas fired by police to disperse fans.

The match was rescheduled for the next day but was postponed again just hours before kickoff. The first leg at La Bombonera ended in a 2-2 draw.

The fixture was shifted to Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium after the Spanish club's President, Florentino Perez, offered the venue free of charge, according to the South American Football Confederation.